The Falsebound Kingdom
by Matt Morwell
Summary: Based on the Konami video game. Mutou Yuugi receives a letter from a technology corporation hoping to win his endorsement of a newly developed video game, and discovers that a world doesn't have to be real to need saving...
1. Chapter 1

_**The Falsebound Kingdom  
**by Matt Morwell_

_Disclaimer: The characters and materials based herein are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, whom we should all proclaim a genius. The following scenarios, however, are based on the video game "Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Falsebound Kingdom", developed by Konami. I have not asked permission to use them to my own creative advantage. Shame on me._

–

_**August 8, 5:42 a.m.  
**_**_Kame Game Shop  
__Domino, Japan_**

–

Mutou Yuugi was walking through a maze.

He'd become accustomed to making his way through any number of mazes by now. He loved puzzles, especially the ones on the backs of any number of cereal boxes. He tended to find his way out of them within about half a minute... but they were still fun, and a welcome distraction from thinking about what trouble he'd find in school today.

This maze was different, though. For all the times he'd been through it, the exit seemed to be in a different place each time. It was dark, dank, chilly, full of doors and stairs that led nowhere and everywhere at once...

He was treading the incomprehensible pathways of the Nameless Pharaoh's mind.

At first, the Pharaoh had discouraged such forays into his thoughts. He had discouraged it for a long while; but none of his naysaying had convinced Yuugi to stay out. Besides which, Yuugi frequently found himself in the maze without even trying to enter... and the Pharaoh had the capability of keeping Yuugi out if he so wished, despite Yuugi's mental meandering. Therefore, Yuugi could only assume that his objections were to be noted, but not enforced.

_And,_ Yuugi thought wryly, _given what adventures we've been through so far, the Pharaoh's mind is likely the least dangerous place to wander._

Images flashed across Yuugi's eyes, giving him teasing glimpses into the Pharaoh's thoughts and dreams. His Egyptian elder was dreaming, as well, but not delving into Yuugi's mind... rather, his subconscious was carrying him through his own.

_Anxiety... as the soul thief bound the souls of his friends to Duel Monsters cards._

_Despair... as Yuugi lay still in the caverns of their linked minds._

_Frustration... as Marik forced a duel to the death._

_Horror... as Dartz declared his intentions for world destruction._

_Fury... as Alexander left his disciples defenseless in his bid to obtain ultimate power._

_Jealousy... as..._

Yuugi blinked, and felt himself turning red. "Oh my," he said aloud, as he realized he'd just seen a thought clearly not meant for him to know.

"_Yuugi?"_

He let out a sigh, and steadied himself against a wall. "I'm sorry, Pharaoh," he muttered. "I was just dreaming..."

"_As was I, aibou... but there are times I truly wish you would heed my warnings and search for the exit when you find yourself here. I sense that is not what you were doing this time."_

"Not really," Yuugi mumbled. He perked up a little, though, and changed the subject. "Have you found anything?"

"_Yes. Specters of fire... pain... destruction."_

"... Oh. Well... that's..."

"_Not encouraging."_

Yuugi sighed. "But it's in the past, Pharaoh. And the world's still intact... so whatever happened to you back then wasn't threatening enough to destroy the world, or _was_, and you stopped it. Either way... we're here."

"_You do have a way of putting positive spins on even the bleakest of situations, Yuugi."_

"Just trying to help."

"_Your efforts are appreciated. But–"_

The disembodied voice was cut off as another flash blinded Yuugi. As he flinched and tried to turn away, he sensed similar discomfort from his partner, but neither could find any respite from the glow. It surrounded him, penetrated him, permeated him...

_Loss... such terrible, terrible loss... ruin and destruction all around, bodies fallen everywhere, a kingdom literally dying before his eyes... a booming voice echoing across the black sky, laughing, laughing..._

–

Yuugi sat upright in bed, gasping for breath. Cold beads of perspiration dripped down his forehead and into his violet eyes, stinging his vision. He groaned and brought a fist up to rub at his eyes.

Dreams like that one had happened before. At first, he and the Pharaoh had tried to chalk it up to random nightmares... but they were happening more frequently now. What they saw was little more than a tease of a memory – chaotic flashes, distorted visions and muffled or explicit sounds, multitudes of smells and tastes, crawling skin... all rushing together at paces faster than either of them could keep up with.

"It has to stop," Yuugi muttered. "I can't even get a good night's sleep anymore..."

"_I'm sorry, aibou. I wish I could control it."_ The ghostly outline of the Pharaoh made its way to Yuugi's bedside and seated itself there.

"It's okay," Yuugi replied automatically. "You can't help it."

"_That does not stop me from wishing I could. I do not wish for you to be tormented by my nightmares."_

Yuugi pursed his lips and looked at his partner's hazy image. "There's a reason you're having them, though. You've got to start reclaiming your memories or these nightmares are going to drive you mad. And possibly me, too."

"_You are correct on that account, Yuugi. We must get into contact with the Ishtars soon; certainly Isis and Malik will be able to assist us."_

Yuugi nodded. "Let's give them a call by the end of this week. We'll start making travel arrangements over the weekend."

"_Travel arrangements, Yuugi?"_

"To go to Egypt, Pharaoh. It's where you're from, and it's where the Ishtars are now. Seems more convenient to go to them instead of bringing them here, don't you think?"

The Pharaoh chuckled. _"Very cute, Yuugi... but why the delay? Why not call right now? Should it not be evening for them now? I imagine Isis would still be awake, if not Malik."_

Yuugi adopted a more sober look. "Well... there's no huge rush or anything..."

The Pharaoh's shoulders heaved, and Yuugi could hear in his mind the ethereal rush of air that usually accompanied a sigh from his friend. _"Yuugi... I realize you are not eager for another harrowing adventure, but I cannot stay in this world forever. You know I do not belong here. If I did, I would have a body and a life of my own – I would not be dependent on you for these things. You should be able to have your body and life to yourself. Once I have reclaimed my memories, you will have that freedom."_

Yuugi shook his head. "We've only known each other a couple years... but now it's hard for me to imagine living without you in my head. You've been a part of me for all the weird and terrible things my friends and I have had to go through... Pegasus, Marik, Dartz, Alexander... can you really begrudge me a couple days more of it?"

"_Yuugi,"_ the Pharaoh said, somewhat reproachful of the question – but he couldn't blame his other for asking it.

"The end of the week," Yuugi said again. "No later than that. But give me these last few days, all right?"

"_... Very well, Yuugi. I doubt I could convince you otherwise even if I truly wanted to."_

"I'll bet you couldn't." Yuugi offered the Pharaoh a cheeky grin. Then his mouth stretched widely into a yawn, and he smiled embarrassedly around it. "But maybe I should get a couple more hours of sleep before we think of anything serious anyway, huh?"

"_Likely that is a good idea, Yuugi. Sleep, and I will watch over you."_

"You need the sleep too."

"_Not nearly as much. I would remind you I slept for thousands of years. I will not suffer from deprivation if I choose to remain alert."_

Yuugi yawned again and looked through squinted eyes through his skylight. He sighed. "Speaking of alert... sun's already on the rise. That won't help much."

"_Just close your eyes, aibou. I will make it night for you."_

The teen emitted a small chuckle even as he got comfortable under his covers. "And you'll give me the stars and the moon, too?"

"_You have but to ask."_

Yuugi smiled and closed his eyes... and was not surprised in the least when he realized no light was being permitted past his eyelids, courtesy of a little Shadow magic conjured at the Pharaoh's will. It was effectively nighttime for him again – and it was time to sleep for a while longer.

–

_**August 8, 12:12 p.m.  
**_**_Kame Game Shop  
__Domino, Japan_**

–

Yuugi descended the stairs, still dressed in his favorite blue pajamas, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Good morning, Jiichan," he said cheerfully, once his yawn was complete.

Mutou Sugoroku glanced up at Yuugi from the business counter with a look of admonition. "It isn't morning anymore, my boy," he said. "Get something to eat, then get dressed, would you? It's afternoon."

"It's when I'm getting out of bed. Morning," Yuugi insisted playfully, and he trailed into the kitchen to seek out appropriate food. "And it's breakfast time. Do we have any eggs?"

"Not if Joey's had breakfast here within the past week," Sugoroku grumbled, as he pushed a heavy box along the tile floor. "Hurry along, I'm going to need your help when the rush comes."

"It's still summer, Jiichan. What sort of rush can there be during summer?"

"Some people still work during the summer, Yuugi," Sugoroku answered. "And we got a new shipment of Duel Monsters cards yesterday evening. You know people look forward to Tuesdays because of the new shipments."

"I look forward to Mondays because I get dibs on them," Yuugi chuckled. Yesterday had been no different; he'd torn into about a dozen packs of brand new Duel Monsters cards, eager to find out what the greats of the new series would be. And no matter how insignificant a card might have seemed, Yuugi understood the strategies behind every single one of them – not only understood them, but was even able to conjure strategies worthy of top-ranked duelists involving these and others. In this, the Pharaoh remained constantly amazed by the young man's resourcefulness. Of the two, Yuugi understood the mechanics of dueling much more than the Pharaoh; but the Pharaoh understood the psychology of the game much more than Yuugi. Given that, it was little wonder they complemented each other so well.

Yuugi poured himself a bowl of cereal, then splashed the milk across it evenly. He'd put up with being told all his life this was a particularly odd method of introducing milk to food, but his personal preference was to have each chunk of cereal wet down. He looked up through the doorway. "You sound a little annoyed, Jiichan. It's not just because I woke up late, is it?"

The elder Mutou heaved a sigh. "No... but I've been spending all morning trying to make sense of the documents your stock broker sent. I'm an archaeologist, not a chaos theoretician."

"They're Industrial Illusions stocks, Jiichan. They're not likely to lose their value any time soon." Yuugi munched a mouthful of cereal. "Don't worry about it so much."

"I'm just worried about your welfare, Yuugi. I want to make sure you're not losing money to this man."

"He's being paid for what he does – he's taking my money one way or another," was Yuugi's response. "And I'm not worried about it. With those stocks, I have so much of it that I'm set for life maybe seventeen times over. Pegasus was, too, and look at the lavish life he led."

"Yes, well, he was vain. I should hope you're wiser with your money than he was, even if you do have enough to buy Madagascar."

"I learned my modesty from you, Jiichan," Yuugi responded. "Don't worry."

"Easier said than done, my boy. I worry about you constantly. Take this piece of mail, for example..." Sugoroku held up an envelope. "It came in with the post today. Official-looking piece."

Yuugi blinked. "From whom?"

Sugoroku shrugged. "Return address reads 'SIC'. The piece itself is postmarked from Tokyo, but the lettering is Roman, so I'm assuming this is an American company."

"Bring it in here, please?"

"Long as I get to look at it with you. If it's spam, I don't want you wasting your time on it." Sugoroku made his way into the kitchen and laid the letter down on the table.

"We've already turned down most credit card companies on this planet," Yuugi answered wryly. "I think I know what to do with those by now." He picked up the envelope and began to open it from a narrow end. "Doesn't feel like it's got any credit cards in it, though, so I guess that's a good sign."

"Not necessarily," Sugoroku remarked.

Yuugi slipped a single piece of paper out of the envelope and unfolded it, now intrigued. He could feel his grandfather hover over one shoulder; over the other was the surreptitious presence of the Pharaoh. The letter had been written in Japanese characters, which both surprised and pleased Yuugi – though he knew English almost as well as his native-English friends, it was much more convenient to see it in his own native tongue.

_Mr. Mutou Yuugi:_

_Greetings. My name is Scott Irvine, and I am the president and owner of SIC, better known as Spectre Industrial Corporation. If you are unfamiliar with this business, we were up until recently a subsidiary of Industrial Illusions, responsible for the perfection of holographic modeling in the well-known game of Duel Monsters, as well as the spinoff game Dungeon Dice Monsters. Rapid business expansion has given us the resources we needed to become an independent company._

_SIC is currently performing final development on a roleplaying game that includes Duel Monsters, known as "Kingdom". This game features perfected neural interfacing, allowing a player's thoughts to become reality within the world created for Kingdom. It also features a fractal decision-making system, allowing for virtually unlimited possibilities – simply put, a player can play almost any way he can conceive, and arrive at a different ending every time he plays, creating unprecedented repeatability for this class of game. Finally, this game allows for multiple players... and the more players there are involved, the more possibilities there are available._

_And while these features may sound incredible to you, I'm sure you're wondering what all this has to do with you. Well, Mr. Mutou, this is where you come in. We need beta testers for this game. I've sent this letter as a personal invitation to you and any friends and family who might wish to join you to come to our Tokyo headquarters for a day of gameplay._

_The reason I'm extending you this invitation, Mr. Mutou, is we at Spectre have kept up with your public profile, and are quick to note you are extremely quick to learn the nuances of games you play. We believe you would be able to appreciate the intricacies of Kingdom; also, once finished, your feedback would be invaluable to our designers. Your efforts, of course, would be handsomely rewarded. Also, after the experience, should you choose to offer us your endorsement, such an action would also be invaluable and well-rewarded._

_Below is a phone number that has been designated specifically to receive your response – at the writing of this letter, our secretarial staff has been notified to expect your call. We look forward to hearing from you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Scott Irvine_

_CEO, Spectre Industrial Corporation_

Yuugi sat back and blinked several times before finding it within himself to come up with some sort of coherent response. "Wow," was all he could manage.

"Well, I'm no expert, Yuugi, but I'd say you're famous," Sugoroku remarked. A joke, of course – there was virtually no game player on Earth who didn't know the name of Mutou Yuugi.

The teen looked wryly at his grandfather. "Thanks for that penetrating analysis," he said, and he looked back at the letter.

"_He did an excellent job of, as you say, 'beating around the bush',"_ the Pharaoh opined. _"Clearly what he desires is for you to love it, then go out and tell others that you love it."_

_Clearly,_ Yuugi thought, _but that doesn't mean I should dismiss it out of hand._

"_I am not suggesting you dismiss it at all, aibou. Merely that you regard it with caution."_

_Mou hitori no boku, you'd advise caution if I were to pick up a skipping stone._

"_You would not wish to inadvertently strike a bystander with a skipping stone."_

Sugoroku looked at his grandson and noted the pensive expression on the boy's face. "Yuugi?"

The teen looked up at Sugoroku and let out a sigh. "Sounds almost too good to be true," he said. "Probably means there's some giant, world-saving catch behind it, right?"

"Now, what makes you say that?"

"The fact that there's always been one since Duelist Kingdom," Yuugi replied, and he huffed and crossed his arms atop the kitchen table.

"Duelist Kingdom, you attended because you didn't have any other choice," said Sugoroku.

"Battle City?"

"Same thing."

"Not quite, Jiichan... I had a choice, I just chose to be part of it."

Sugoroku shook his head. "Not so sure about that, Yuugi, but if you say so."

Yuugi perched his chin on the heel of his palm and looked dispassionately up at his grandfather. "Jiichan, I hope you have a point coming soon, here..."

"My point, Yuugi, is that I think you should give this game of theirs a shot. You've played roleplaying games before and had fun."

"It depends on your definition of 'fun'," Yuugi remarked, recalling the fateful duel between the Pharaoh and the soul thief which revolved around Bakura Ryou's favorite roleplaying game, Monster World. "Tromping around as a lead figurine doesn't qualify for me. Besides, this letter mentions neural interfacing... sounds a lot like the virtual world Kaiba developed. You should be able to understand why I'm not eager to throw myself back into a place like that."

"You weren't given a choice there, either," Sugoroku reminded his grandson. He gave the boy an encouraging smile. "Obviously they want you to take them up on their offer, but they've left it open to you. You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Yuugi blinked at his elder. "Honestly, Jiichan, I was expecting you to be encouraging me into this thing a little more strongly than that."

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint," the archaeologist chuckled, "but I'm merely pointing out the option is available, should you choose to exercise it. Still... it would seem awfully out of place for you to deny yourself the opportunity to play a game. I know that look in your eye – you're at least curious about it. Plus it includes Duel Monsters... so how bad could it be?"

Yuugi flinched. "Jiichan, don't ever ask questions like that."

Sugoroku shrugged. "Fine. But if I were you, I'd ask my friends what they think about it before making any decisions. The invitation was extended to more than just you, after all."

–

_**August 8, 2:03 p.m.  
**_**_Kame Game Shop  
__Domino, Japan_**

–

"You kiddin', Yuge? Of course you should go for it!"

Yuugi rolled his eyes, but smiled in spite of himself. "Thanks for the subtle encouragement, Joey."

Joseph Wheeler, self-proclaimed duelist extraordinaire and others-proclaimed indulgent hack, wore an oblivious smirk and carried a twinkle in his brandy-brown eyes. "No prob'. But seriously, what's to think about? This is your _thing_, man."

"That's what Jiichan said."

"You don't sound so sure about it," said Joey.

Téa Gardner, Yuugi's best (female) friend – and bar none his most attractive one – was seated on the living room sofa and looking almost as pensive as Yuugi felt. He found some reassurance in that; he didn't want to be the only one with reservations about charging headlong into another adventure... controlled though it might be by computers. They'd all had experience with adventures similar to this before. Her sapphire gaze bore a certain... sadness about it. Yuugi blinked. "What's wrong?"

"I'll bet I know why you're holding back on it," she said. "You're worried we're going to get caught up in some sort of scheme to destroy or dominate the world, as usual."

"Not 'as usual'," Joey retorted. "We've only done it four times so far."

"Three," Yuugi corrected. "Marik, Dartz, Alexander. And yes, I'm concerned about that. No, Joey, I'm not so sure it's the right thing to do."

"Aw, c'mon," Joey protested. "Those other times, it was pretty clear what the danger was. There's no real-life danger in this thing, they make it pretty clear it's only a game, and they're just inviting you to play it."

"Sounds like a great opportunity to me. Get yourself a little spending money instead of having it all invested in Industrial Illusions stocks and bonds where even your Dark Magician can't remove it." Tristan Taylor was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed. He offered Yuugi a small smile of encouragement. Yuugi thought it ironic to receive such wise advice from one of the same men who only spent breath to hurt the feelings of others just a couple years ago.

"I guess that's a good point," Yuugi conceded. "And the letter did point out it's all strictly voluntary..."

"Yeah, so what's stoppin' ya?" Joey asked jovially.

"What Téa said. I don't want to get mixed up into some kind of trouble like what always happens to us when we appear in public, whether it's intentional or accidental," was the shorter teen's reply.

Tristan shifted his stance and crossed his legs. "What's happened all those times?" he asked reasonably. "Things turned out all right. You got your grandpa's soul back, you saved the world three times in a row..."

"What if Yuugi doesn't want the stress of saving the world a fourth time?" Téa chimed in. "I mean, that's got to be what this game is about. Some sort of conflict that needs heroes to resolve it. With all this experimental technology, it might end up becoming the real thing and we'd never know."

"This isn't _Final Destination_. We can't just sit on our hands all day because we're afraid of what might happen if we poke our heads out the door." Tristan huffed. "But Yuugi doesn't have to take the challenge if he doesn't want to. They're not forcing him to play. What're they dangling in front of him? Money and publicity? Yuugi, I think you couldn't care less about those things... but you do like games. So do we."

"Yeah, Yuge," Joey said. "Even for us, sometimes a game is just a game. If there's a world to save in it, then we'll have fun doing it."

Yuugi looked up uncertainly at his friends. "Well... I guess it's worth a shot... but I don't want to go by myself."

"Think we'd let ya?" Joey grinned. "You know I'm with ya to the end, buddy."

"Me too," Tristan immediately supplemented, offering another smile.

Téa chewed her lip. Yuugi looked to her hopefully. "How about you? Want to come along with us?"

"Well..."

"Please?"

She found his gaze – and although her reservations were all over her face, the moment she saw his eyes she knew she'd be going. The worry in her expression melted away at his look and she smiled. "Of course. Count me in."

"And me."

All four heads twisted around – Sugoroku was standing on the other side of the doorway, a twinkle in his eyes not unlike the one in Joey's. Yuugi frowned. "Are you sure, Jiichan?"

"Absolutely!" the elder Mutou declared. "It's good for me to know what games kids might play in lieu of what I sell."

Joey also gave Sugoroku an odd look. "You didn't think that way about Dungeon Dice Monsters when it came out. Didn't you forbid all of us to go to Black Crown?"

Téa spoke up again. "And what about your heart? When we fought Alexander, you weren't doing too well..."

"Hogwash," Sugoroku sniffed. "I missed a very good opportunity with Dungeon Dice Monsters, and I didn't get to be there for some of your greatest excitements. I certainly don't intend to miss this." He grinned and winked. "Besides, someone has to drive you young whippersnappers to Tokyo."

At that point, there was silent – albeit unanimous – concession from the teens. Yuugi brightened a little. "Hey, speaking of Dungeon Dice Monsters, maybe we should invite Otogi."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Him? He'd only come along if Serenity was there, too."

"If I have my way, she's not goin' near either of you," Joey grunted. "She's not in Japan anyway, she's back in the States with her mom." There was a tone of bitterness to his voice, and a slight crease split his brow. He shook his head to clear it. "So I guess she won't be able to come."

"Too bad," Yuugi mused, "otherwise I'd have invited her, too."

"That would make it seem a little too familiar," Téa muttered. "Want me to go over to Black Crown and invite Otogi, then?"

"Yes, please," said Yuugi, much to Tristan's consternation. He chuckled at his friend as Téa rose to do as requested. "We're not going to have to separate you two, are we?"

"Quite possibly," Tristan muttered.

"Anyone else we should invite?" Joey asked.

"Well, you know, Rebecca is in Kyoto," Sugoroku mused. "I bet she'd be thrilled to hear about this game of theirs."

"You must be joking," Joey muttered.

"Hardly. She came to Japan for a Duel Monsters tournament, and it's on its last leg today."

"Nah, I think it's a good idea," said Tristan. "The more, the merrier, right? Plus the hero always has a love interest or two." He winked conspiratorially at Yuugi.

Yuugi blushed. "We're not dating!"

"Yet," Tristan returned, smirking. "But I'd say she's in love with you."

"She's too young to fall in love," said Sugoroku. "She has a crush."

"Big one."

"Yes, well..." The older man chuckled. "Then it's settled. Tristan, could you see to it she's invited? She should be staying, I believe, at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto."

"Will do," said the teen, and he strayed into the kitchen to make good use of the telephone.

Joey huffed. "Okay, anyone else?"

Yuugi shrugged. "What about Ryou? If this 'Kingdom' is a roleplaying game, he'd fit right in."

"Oh my," said Sugoroku, unable to suppress a shudder. "Are you sure that's such a good idea, Yuugi?"

Joey supplemented, "Yeah, man... I mean, don't get me wrong, I like the guy, but..."

"But what?" Yuugi asked, sounding reasonable. "The troubles he had were all because of the Millennium Ring, and he doesn't have it anymore – I do. It hasn't gone anywhere since Battle City. Trust me, I check every day. So let's give him a chance, huh? He's our friend. And I don't like the thought of blowing him off... I know what that's like."

At that, Joey and Sugoroku both looked down in shame... they knew the feeling too.

"All right," said Joey. "I'll drop by his place this afternoon and invite him along."

"Good man," said Yuugi.

The shadow of the Pharaoh appeared and seated itself on the armrest of the couch. _"Yuugi, I feel I must concur with Joey and your grandfather – while I personally have no problem with Ryou, I am concerned with the person he becomes during even the most innocent of exchanges."_

_You shouldn't, Pharaoh. You know we still have the Ring. It might not like us but we earned it fairly, and the soul thief can't come out unless he has both the Ring and Ryou._

"_I wish I shared your convictions on the matter, Yuugi, but I do not believe it to be quite that simple."_

_Why?_

"_Tristan claims to have thrown the Ring deep into the jungle of Duelist Kingdom. Ryou never left our sight long enough to permit him to find it between our duel with Pegasus and the time we left. Perhaps he does not need to find the Ring in order for the Ring to find him."_

_... That sounds pretty ominous, Pharaoh._

"_It is my nature to consider the worst-case scenario so that I may be prepared for its implementation."_

_In that case, I don't want to know about the worst-case scenario for this game we're about to play._

"_I do not believe there is a measure for just how badly things could turn for this game we are about to play, aibou."_

–

_**August 8, 4:45 p.m.  
**_**_Kaiba Corporation World Headquarters  
__Domino, Japan_**

–

"It's almost time to go home, 'niisama."

Kaiba Seto looked at his desk clock. "An hour and fifteen minutes, Mokuba. When are you going to stop doing that?"

"When you start listening to me and not that stupid clock." Kaiba Mokuba harrumphed and blew a stray lock of black hair out of his eyes – one stray lock out of hopelessly many. "C'mon, Seto, you need to go home early sometime. Spend a little more time with your family and a little less time on work."

"I have a business to run, Mokuba," the older Kaiba replied dispassionately. "KaibaCorp needs a head so that the body doesn't die."

"And heads need rest just as much as bodies do," Mokuba answered, crossing his arms. "Take a sabbatical."

"Not this close to the end of a normal work day," Seto replied. His blue eyes flickered up to his younger brother, and a small smile reserved only for his little brother appeared. "It's not nearly as much fun as having a whole day off."

"'Fun'?" Mokuba beamed. "Seto, you haven't used that word in a long time."

"Don't expect to hear it for just as long, either. Nevertheless, there you have it."

The younger Kaiba cocked his head in curiosity. "There I have what, 'niisama?"

"This." Seto slid a folded piece of paper across the desk, clearly meaning for Mokuba to take it. "How it got through the screened mail, I couldn't say. I only know that it did."

Mokuba picked up the paper and read through it. He blinked in fascination. "Wow." He looked up at Seto. "Spectre has technology contracts with us, doesn't it?"

"Quite a few," Seto acknowledged. "They experimented with miniaturized Duel Monsters holography first. Good thing I patented it. They moved on to neural interfacing... some for the military, mind control of remote spyplanes and such. The rest, I suppose, was for this."

"Reminds me a lot of the virtual world we faced the Big 5 and Noa in," Mokuba mused.

_And Gozaburo._ Seto didn't say it aloud; he preferred not to acknowledge the battles he'd had to fight and the life he'd had to relive in that place. "They're pretty much gambling their entire future on Kingdom. If it flops, it's the death of the company."

"And if we endorse it, they pull in funds to make Industrial Illusions drool?"

"Not quite that much, I don't think. But it'll be enough to sustain them for quite a while. And every time Industrial Illusions comes out with new Duel Monsters cards, KaibaCorp produces corresponding holograms, and Spectre will update Kingdom to expand their own database. Everyone wins... based on I2's exports."

"Think they'll become a decent competitor?"

"Hardly a competitor, never mind decent," Seto sniffed. "But it's a chance to take a look at what they're creating based on our research and genius."

Mokuba grinned. "So we're going?"

"Of course we are. I've already called them. We're scheduled to begin the game Thursday morning."

"Awesome!" The younger Kaiba was immediately pumped. "Finally, a day to ourselves!"

Another one of those rare smiles graced Seto's features. While he might not have passion for much, one of his passions was seeing to it that his younger brother was happy – and if he had to get involved... well, that was simply a bonus.

–

_**August 9, 7:30 a.m.  
**_**_Spectre Industrial Corporation Headquarters  
__Los Angeles, California, U.S.A._**

–

"_Mr. Irvine?"_

"Yes?"

"_We've now received correspondence from everyone. They've all expressed interest enough to attend the test."_

"Very good, Nancy. The plane?"

"_Ready to go at your convenience, sir."_

"All right, then. Have the car here in an hour, and let the pilot know we'll be leaving in two."

"_Sir, have you been home at all since the invitations were sent out?"_

A chuckle. "You've caught me, Nancy. But I'll get some sleep on the plane. Make sure there are two suits waiting for me onboard."

"_Yes, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?"_

"Let me know if there's anything I should know... don't if there isn't."

"_Yes, sir."_

He sat back and steepled his fingers. This would be interesting.

Indeed, it would.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

_

* * *

**August 9, 12:09 p.m.  
**__**Kame Game Shop  
**__**Domino, Japan**  
_– 

Joey sat in the living room rubbing his hands together. "This new game sounds awesome. Using Duel Monsters is always a treat."

Bakura Ryou was sitting on the floor next to Yuugi, playing an action game in cooperative mode with him. "I'm looking forward more to the roleplaying aspect," he said. "I'm about as much for Duel Monsters participation as Téa or Tristan would be... that is to say, indifferent."

Tristan was watching the game's mechanics, his brow working in almost furious concentration – mapping out how enemies reacted to various objects and strikes – but upon hearing Ryou's remark, he blinked. "Hey, I think it's cool that Duel Monsters are in it and all..."

Ryou glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "But if they'd come up with original creatures to use in their game instead of simply ripping the Duel Monsters holograms KaibaCorp produces, you'd be just as pleased, wouldn't you?"

The American-born teen shrugged. "I dunno. I guess."

"My point exactly."

Téa, seated on the couch next to Joey, smiled slightly. "You seem to have us worked out pretty well, then. For me, I like Duel Monsters, I think they're awesome – but it doesn't matter to me what creatures or characters show up in a game, just as long as I'm enjoying the game I'm in."

"This particular game ought to be a lot of fun," Yuugi noted, "given you could play it almost exactly the same way and end up with a different outcome based on even the smallest of decisions."

The Pharaoh's ghostly form was perched on the couch's armrest again; if not for his lack of corporeality, he would have been sitting fully atop Téa's elbow. _"Of course, that could mean the game is set so that even the most minute of improper actions could cause a loss, forcing players to walk a line thin as a razor."_

_You sure know how to brighten up a day, Pharaoh,_ Yuugi thought wryly. _The letter said the game's structured to permit a vast number of outcomes. What's there to make us think this is anything but a gaming company hoping to get the support of a popular figure or two?_

"_What is there to make you believe there is nothing beyond it?"_ the Egyptian returned.

Yuugi ignored the question and re-tuned his ears to the conversation around him. "...the ultimate in roleplaying experiences," Ryou was saying. "You can grab one of those hideously expensive, user-unfriendly rulebooks, or you can play this game instead and not have to dither on the mechanics for a character holding an apple."

"Bah," said Joey. "Get psyched up about the actual game mechanics if you like – I just wanna be playing alongside my favorite monsters. And they'd better have some updated monster lists! I saw this attempt at a Duel Monsters roleplay rulebook that had maybe two hundred monsters available on the outside."

Tristan frowned. "Surely that's more than enough for you, Joey."

"Not when a hundred ninety-four of them are Duel Monsters that shouldn't even exist," the blond harrumphed.

Yuugi turned to give Joey a disapproving look. "Now, Joey, don't tell me you're actually dismissing that many Duel Monsters out of hand."

"Of course not, Yuge. But even _you_ have to admit you'd rather have monsters like Dark Magician and Summoned Skull on your side than... I dunno... Skull Servant and Battle Warrior."

Yuugi _tsk_ed as he returned his attention to the game in front of them. "Battle Warrior's in your deck, Joey, that means you find him valuable whether or not he's as powerful as Dark Magician or Summoned Skull. Besides, Battle Warrior and Skull Servant are fusion material for Zombie Warrior. If those two monsters ever get tired fighting–"

"And they probably would after about two seconds," Joey grunted.

"–you could fuse them to create something new. And who knows what sorts of powers it'd have? I'll bet they put a lot of thought into each one. More than just straight attack and defense points," Yuugi said.

Joey almost sniggered. "So you're saying Swordsman From A Foreign Land is suddenly a contender?"

"He always was," Yuugi reasoned. "Give them all a chance, Joey. You're going to have to do that for this game, whether or not you like the monsters you end up with."

"I wonder what roles we'll be taking on," Ryou pondered. "Perhaps we'll be given roles to play... or, more excitingly, we might be allowed to create our own."

"Buncha cookie-cutter adventurers, probably," Joey sniffed. "Same ol', same ol'."

"C'mon, man, you've gotta get more into the spirit than that," Tristan admonished. "What about... being a pirate, or some sort of mercenary? Maybe a soldier – that'd be pretty cool."

Téa turned to Tristan. "You want art to imitate life, Tristan?"

He shrugged in response. "Hey, think about it. What if you were suddenly thrust into the role of a world-famous performer? Then the character you're playing becomes just as fun as the adventure you're on."

She had to fight down a blush at that thought – and indeed, she had to admit it was an exciting one. "Well... yeah, I guess so, when you put it that way."

Ryou glanced over his shoulder again and offered Tristan a slightly disapproving frown. "Now you've gone and got her hopes up. What if she can't take a role like that?"

"Just setting up an example. You, of all people, ought to appreciate getting someone's attention with the possibilities in roleplaying games."

"I'll take whatever role is available, I guess," she shrugged. "We all will. And probably we'll make the most of it, right?"

"Hope so," Yuugi said. Then he smirked. "Just as long as Tristan and Otogi don't cross paths too terribly much."

"It's not Otogi I mind," Tristan clarified, "it's him making moves on Serenity that's my problem."

"And mine," Joey chimed in. "But she's not gonna be around, so neither of you will have to worry about that, now will you?" He shot Tristan a look.

Tristan harrumphed. "No, I suppose not."

Téa spoke up. "Actually, he mentioned something that struck me as odd when I invited him. He said he'd been hearing about this little test run from a couple other people."

Yuugi blinked. "Other people? Like who?"

She seemed reluctant to say. "Two of your not-so-favorite people in the world."

"Kaiba and Mokuba?" Joey asked.

"Mai and Rebecca?" Tristan offered.

Téa scowled, but at Yuugi's questioning look, she gave up the answer. "Rex and Weevil."

Joey scoffed. "The nerve! How could those guys get personal invitations when _I _didn't get one?!"

"Relax, Joey," Yuugi advised. "They probably knew you and I are best friends. Not like it's any big secret. They save a little postage when they only send one message instead of a whole slew."

"Given how much money they probably have, seems awful cheap of them _not_ to send one to him, though." Tristan chuckled. "Maybe your celebrity isn't as big as you thought, Joey."

"I don't see _you_ gettin' up there an' riskin' your life to duel a bunch of nutcases."

"Guys!" Téa barked. "Would you calm down? It's not that big a deal. Joey's going, whether or not he got an invitation, and I imagine his endorsement could carry the kind of weight Yuugi's would, too."

"Ha. There. Someone likes me." Joey preened.

Tristan simply snorted and shook his head.

"So we're going to see Rex and Weevil in the game, then?" Ryou inquired. "That might be interesting. I wonder if every player is supposed to be an ally of all the others."

"Knowing those two, I wouldn't put it past them to try and double-cross everyone so they could reach the finish line first," Joey harrumphed.

"You're a downer, you know that?" Téa said.

"Matter of fact, I do. But not about this – it's not pessimism, it's just the plain truth, as derived from experience."

"That's an awful lot of big words for someone like you," Tristan teased.

He had to duck when a throwpillow crossed the expanse between him and Joey.

–  
_**August 9, 6:02 p.m.  
**__**Kaiba Corporation World Headquarters  
**__**Domino, Japan**  
_–

Mokuba's heels swung impatiently against the edge of the seat on which he was perched. "C'mon, 'niisama. It's two minutes after; time to go!"

Seto rolled his eyes, not for the first time, as he tweaked a command line for the computer program he was in the midst of designing. "Mokuba, you've been reminding me what time it is for the last half hour. Need I remind you I have a clock set right into my desk? Right here, with a big display and everything. Being head of a corporation lets me afford things like that."

"Seto, you _promised_..."

"I promised that we're going to have a day of fun tomorrow, and so we shall. But to balance it out, I need to work a little harder on the surrounding days."

Mokuba pouted. "You're no fun when you work, 'niisama."

"So I've been told. Work isn't always pleasant but it has to be done – if for no other reason, to satisfy this capitalist notion of supply and demand. Worker supply around here isn't always competent, and people demand competence. As do I. So at times, I have to stick to that adage, 'If you want it done right...'"

"Okay, okay." Mokuba sighed. "I just don't like when Roland rushes me home in one car while you come home in another, like, five hours later."

Seto shrugged. "Then tell him not to. He's paid to do as he's told, and paid very well for it, at that." He stole a glance at his younger brother. "It's not like your company is unwelcome on the ride home, no matter what time it is."

"You keep saying nice things about me, Seto, and I'm gonna start thinking you like me."

"Well, have fun with that." Seto closed down the program, satisfied – for the moment – with his progress. He stood up and donned his sport coat. Somewhere along the line he'd come to the realization that he couldn't keep dressing like a teenager and expect to be taken seriously as the head of a multi-national company. So he'd traded in his customized trench coats and limb belts for a dapper white suit and blue tie – the clothier said the tie complemented his eyes, though he couldn't have cared less. "All right, let's get going."

Mokuba's face split into a wide grin. "Really? It's only 6:03."

"Before I change my mind, little brother."

The two made their way to the private elevator installed along the far wall of the office; this elevator had only four possible destinations – the office, the main conference room, the roof, and the parking garage. Seto found it more convenient for direct entry; he didn't like the idea of having to climb into an elevator crowded with bumbling employees and share space – and oxygen – with them, nor did he enjoy waiting to get to the level on which his office was located. He liked least the faint odor of cigarette smoke that permeated the public elevator, an odor that came from the breaths of employees and somehow managed to cling to the walls long after they'd arrived at their destination.

The sensation caused by the rapid descent of the private elevator always gave Mokuba a lurching feeling in his stomach. Seto, on the other hand, found it somewhat exhilarating. It did not drop so quickly that they became weightless, but certainly some weight was lost during transit – then regained twofold as it slowed upon approaching the ground.

Roland was waiting at the entrance. As was his nightly routine, he gestured to the black limousine waiting for the brothers Kaiba, a silent invitation – or, as Mokuba sometimes thought of it, a silent directive – to enter and enjoy the lavish accommodations within during the ride they would be taking. The driver held the rear door open for Seto and Mokuba as they climbed in. Seto settled his briefcase on the opposite seat, then crossed both his arms and his legs in traditional frosty fashion.

Nevertheless, Mokuba settled up next to his big brother, not fazed at all by the cold shoulder attitude Seto tended to display even when no one else was around. The younger Kaiba looked up and cocked his head. "What're you thinking about?"

"This game tomorrow." The faintest frown passed over Seto's features. "I did some checking. Apparently we weren't the only ones who received invitations to play it."

"Really? Who else is playing?"

Seto snorted. "Yuugi. Which probably means he's bringing his cheerleaders with him. Maybe that fusty old grandfather of his, too. And those idiots Underwood and Raptor were both sent invitations. Far as I know, everyone's accepted."

Mokuba blinked in curiosity. "Think we'll be playing with them?"

"I hope not."

"Why not? I think it'd be great."

Kaiba hid a wince and resisted the urge to scowl at Mokuba. The thought of playing a game cooperatively with his greatest rival set his teeth on edge, and his little brother seemed all but oblivious to that. _Of course, it's all fun and games to him. Not for me – that would just be rubbing salt in a wound._ "I don't. I'd rather it just be us."

Mokuba grinned, having misinterpreted the reply. "Seto, you're the best."

"Naturally." Seto glanced toward his briefcase and took note of a large book resting on the seat next to it. He arched an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"Hm? Oh." Mokuba offered Seto an embarrassed smile. "One of the books I'm supposed to be reading assignments from, actually. I guess I must've left it in here this morning."

"School's important, Mokuba. I can't have you sitting around the office all day complaining about how bored you are when you have homework to do," Seto admonished.

"Sorry, 'niisama."

The elder Kaiba reached across and picked the book up; it was nearly as thick as his compilation album of Shakespeare's works. He flipped through a few pages, seemed intrigued by some, and annoyed by others. "Looks like you have a bunch of fortune-cookie passages interspersed with anything of real educational value in here."

"Maybe it's not useful to someone who's business-savvy," Mokuba retorted, "but some of it's pretty good reading."

"Oh, really?" Seto forced down an urge to roll his eyes at the passage before him.

_Those who claim to control the gods are in fact controlled by the gods.  
-Alexander Irvine_

"Tell me this isn't the kind of stuff your tutor's asking you to waste so much of your precious time on," he entreated.

"Well, not _all_ my precious time... just some of it."

Mokuba's brother sighed. "Might have to have a talk with him."

"Aw, c'mon, Seto. Let him teach me the stuff he thinks I need to learn. Otherwise I'll turn into you and get all boring."

Seto narrowed his eyes at Mokuba. "Boring, eh?"

"Uh-huh."

Then Mokuba threw his arms about Seto's waist and laughed.

And in spite of himself, Seto relaxed a little... and even allowed a small smile to penetrate his features.

–  
_**August 9, 11:58 p.m.  
**__**SIC Private Aircraft 1993  
**__**Pacific Ocean - In Transit**  
_–

He knew he would not be disturbed within the privacy of his cabin. There were several locks he'd installed on the door to ensure that, as well as instructions to the plane's crew that no interruptions were to take place. Putting aside that they were paid to do what he wanted them to do, it was rather a common courtesy extended to night fliers.

He slipped his private viewing headset on; two screens, one for each eye, showed him – and only him – what a monitor might otherwise display, and the earphones sent noises only he could hear. He began typing out lines of code on his keyboard, lines of code that he intended to enter into the program. It would cause a glitch and lock down the system. The players would be unaffected, of course. There was no use in them losing their lives.

Yet.

But the glitch would be enough to send the program into safety mode. That was where he intended to begin – he was creating a back door through which he could slip freely while the program operated in safety mode, but that no others could find unless they knew two things: that it existed, and where it was.

And from there, all he would need was to create enough chaos among the players that they would fight amongst themselves, while his goals... he hoped... would not be revealed until it was far too late.

A smirk pricked at the corner of his mustachioed mouth.

This was going to be fun.

–  
_**August 10, 5:38 a.m.  
**__**Kame Game Shop  
**__**Domino, Japan**  
_–

Yuugi was doing his best to tiptoe about the upstairs, but the creaking floorboards made his efforts less than successful. The Pharaoh, again in Shadow form, watched the boy bemusedly. _Yuugi, there are more than two hours before your grandfather takes us to Tokyo. It is a one-hour drive. Surely you do not think he would leave you behind at this hour._

Yuugi glanced up at his other as he chose a pair of pants and a shirt. _"It's not like that, mou hitori no boku,"_ he responded silently, opting to not disturb his sleeping elder. _"I'm just excited. ... And a little anxious."_

_I can tell._ The Pharaoh crossed his arms as he kept his gaze upon Yuugi. _I believe your apprehension is appropriate to the situation. We have no idea what may be waiting for us when we arrive in this "Kingdom"._

Yuugi climbed out of his pajamas, then into a pair of dark jeans. _"You don't have to add to it, mou hitori no boku. I know very well that there's a bunch of unknowns about this thing. That's where the excitement comes in, though. All sorts of fun stuff could happen during the game."_

_Indeed. Or dangerous instances._

"_You really know how to take the fun out."_ Yuugi harrumphed quietly and pulled on a gray T-shirt.

_My apologies, Yuugi, but it is my nature to consider the unpleasant possibilities on equal footing with the pleasant ones. What of the Egyptian God cards? What if someone were to try to take them during our absence?_

"_They won't know where to look, mou hitori no boku. They could tear this house inside out and not find them."_

_Do you truly believe hiding them beneath a shingle outside your window is the best place for them? What if they were to fall out?_

"_I nailed the shingle down. Think up a better place and I'll put them there."_ Yuugi grinned as he put on a dark jacket. _"C'mon, mou hitori no boku. This way, the house is blessed by the gods! What could be better?"_

_... A fair point,_ the Egyptian grudgingly admitted.

Yuugi's grin widened, and he donned the Millennium Puzzle. _"C'mon, let's go downstairs and have some breakfast."_

_You realize you will wake your grandfather this way, do you not?_ The Pharaoh asked.

"_Nah. But if I do, it'll be to good food. I'm not about to go hungry in a virtual simulator."_

_Very well... but see to it that Joey's appetite is sated, as well, before entering. All he and Tristan seemed to wish for on our last adventure was food._

"_I'll see what I can do."_

–  
_**August 10, 7:31 a.m.  
**__**Kyoto Airport  
**__**Kyoto, Japan**  
_–

Rebecca Hopkins let out a small sigh as she looked through her personal effects one more time. Everything was just where it should be, of course – she'd gotten her fastidious streak from her mother, who in turn had received it from Rebecca's grandfather. She couldn't remember the number of times both she and her mother had yelped at her father for leaving dishes about the house, his jacket on a chair, or some other offense that threw off their sense of logic and order.

She pushed her half-moon glasses up her nose. The things used to pinch her rather painfully, but ever since getting that corrected, they seemed to have developed a habit of sliding down until she looked like some horribly snooty schoolmarm. Hers was evidently not the only mind that conjured up such an image; her grandfather, who she loved dearly, made a similar remark one day as he was watching her study lines of code for a firewall program.

Though, in her opinion, some firewalls could use the discipline of a horribly snooty schoolmarm...

She smiled in remembrance of the phone call she'd gotten the other day. She'd been just a little disappointed that Yuugi himself hadn't given her the call, but if it was going to be one of his friends, it might as well be Tristan. He was nice enough; she didn't think him nearly as annoying as Joey, and certainly not a rival for Yuugi's attentions like Téa. After the call, it had taken a little doing to get her grandfather – her main source of funding – to say "yes" to such a proposal, particularly at the cost of a few hundred dollars for the plane ticket, but she'd managed to convince him it was worth the trouble. Besides, Yuugi had been thoughtful enough to opine that she ought to be extended an invitation... how could she say no?

She checked her watch. The flight would be cutting it awful close – Tristan said they'd be getting into Tokyo about 9 a.m., and the plane was only boarding its passengers now, with a 45-minute flight in store. Fortunately, she'd managed to get hold of Otogi Ryuuji, whom Tristan said had also been invited, and he'd agreed to pick her up at the airport to make sure she wasn't forgotten.

The final boarding call came. She got to her feet and slung her backpack over one shoulder, then hurried to the gantry.

_Just like old times,_ she thought, semi-ruefully. _We're off to save the world once again._

–  
_**August 10, 7:42 a.m.  
**__**Room 513, Harashiro Apartments  
**__**Domino, Japan**  
_–

The alarm clock had been buzzing for nearly forty-five minutes. And Ryou was only just beginning to rise from the fog of deep, dreamless sleep. His bleary brown eyes blinked once, then twice, then glanced at the clock – and widened quite abruptly.

_Oh gods, I'm **late**!_ He fell out of his bed, but paid no heed to the pain in his side accompanying that fall, and rushed to find some clothes. _How could I have woken up so late?! That clock always wakes me up...!_

Then he looked himself over, and frowned. He was not usually one to wear anything beyond boxers and an undershirt to bed, but this morning he was already decked out in daytime wear – though the selection wasn't exactly what he would have chosen. A white-and-green striped T-shirt, with a rumpled mint-colored dress shirt over top, and a pair of jeans... and his least favorite shoes, a brown that reminded him more of things he took pains to avoid stepping in.

He ran a hand through his hopelessly tangled white hair and scratched his head in confusion. _How in blazes did I end up in this outfit? I don't remember even getting undressed for bed last night – much less **re**-dressed like this..._

A shudder ran down his spine. _The last time I had a gap in my memory like this was..._

He didn't even want to think about it. And the clock told him he didn't have that much time to dwell on the subject, anyway. _I have to go... I guess I'll just wear this. Probably going to hear it from Téa and Joey..._

He sighed, grabbed his keys and wallet, and ran out the door.

Had he remained longer, he might have noticed that his television was still on.

He might have even seen that it was tuned to the local morning news.

And maybe, just maybe, if he'd stayed fifteen seconds longer, he would have heard a report on an apparent mugging that left its victim, a homeless man armed with a pocketknife, comatose.

But he didn't.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

_**August 10, 9:10 a.m.  
**__**SIC Laboratories – Tokyo Branch  
**__**Tokyo, Japan**  
_–

Sugoroku scowled at the bumpy gravel road laid out before the van. "Well, this is a fine mess," he groused. "You would think they'd keep places like this in a more industrial section of Tokyo instead of out on the catskills."

"Except there probably isn't any more space in industrial Tokyo to fit anything," Ryou reasoned. He was seated on the bench behind Sugoroku and gazing out the windows at the row of trees lining the left side of the road. "And if they deal with advanced holography, like the letter Yuugi got says they do, shouldn't it make sense they be able to have a more remote location so busybodies don't go poking about?"

"Hrmph. I suppose."

For about the fiftieth time on the drive, Téa glanced through the rear windshield and at the stylish black car following them. Tristan noted the motion and chuckled. "Otogi knows his way around Tokyo pretty well, Téa. He has business here all the time. He's not gonna get lost."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered under her breath. She knew he'd gone and picked up Rebecca from the airport, and though she disliked Rebecca less than she used to, she still found the child to be... well... a child. _Why invite her along, anyway? Not like she's really been anything but a thorn in Yuugi's side since the day they met..._

_... No, that's not really true. She helped out in a big way during the incident with Dartz, getting Yuugi and Kaiba back into KC headquarters. Not like she was ever thanked for it, of course, but that's Kaiba for you. Not sure I'd be thankful that a twelve-year-old managed to hack through my own security systems, either, come to think of it._

She turned back around and looked up toward the front. Yuugi was sitting shotgun and had a pensive look on his face. She could only imagine what could be going through his mind. _Probably the Pharaoh, advising him to be careful,_ she surmised. As unpredictable as the Pharaoh could sometimes be, that was the one behavior they had all noted seemed to be commonplace. _Then again, Yuugi's the one who's feeling cautious about the whole business. He was reluctant from the start, I could see it. I sure hope Joey and Tristan didn't inadvertently pressure him into doing it. If something happens..._

_Why **should** anything happen? It's supposed to be just a game, right?_

_Right._

She swept a stray lock of brown hair away from her face and chewed the inside of her bottom lip, forcing a slight pout onto her features. Joey, seated next to Ryou and looking a little pensive himself, saw the expression. "Something the matter, Téa?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Just thinking."

"Alert the media," Tristan snickered.

Before she could come up with a smart reply to that, Sugoroku made a noise of exasperated triumph. "Finally! There it is, SIC Tokyo Labs." And indeed, there was a sign up ahead that delineated precisely the name of the location – beyond it was a wide gate with a checkpoint booth and a bored-looking guard sitting inside. Sugoroku pulled the van up to the booth.

The guard hung his head out the window and offered a polite smile and nod of his head. "Welcome, Mutou-san. We have been expecting your party. How many are here today?"

"Six in this van, plus two in the car behind us," Sugoroku answered.

"Very good, sir." The guard pressed a button in his booth – it appeared to be one of only two on the entire console – and the gate began sliding open. "There will be a representative waiting for you at the front door."

"Thank you," Sugoroku said, and nodded his head once in deference to the guard, then slowly moved the van inside the gate. Beyond the fencing, in direct contrast to the road on which they'd traveled for no less than ten minutes, there was a well-paved parking lot whose many spaces were mostly occupied, presumably by the cars of employees developing the various technologies SIC had become renowned for.

Téa blinked in surprise at the place. "Wow, the building here sure looks futuristic," she noted. The building in question bore structure vaguely reminiscent of an ovoid Tower of Pisa, save that it stood up straight. Well-washed glass panes covered nearly every surface. On each level was a catwalk that circled the entire building; guardrails ensured the safety of those who traveled along it, and there seemed to be quite a few who were doing just that. With the morning sunlight reflecting off it, it was a glimmering beacon in the middle of nowhere.

Ryou turned to Téa as Sugoroku parked the van in a spot relatively close to the building. "You mentioned that Rex and Weevil had been invited as well. I wonder if they're here today."

"Why would those losers get invitations, anyway?" Joey grumbled. "They didn't do nearly as well at Duelist Kingdom or Battle City. Let's all be clear that I'm here because I, on the other hand, was stellar in both."

"You never got an invitation," Tristan pointed out.

"They must have sent it to the wrong address!"

Tristan smirked. "Riiight. Well, at least we know that Yuugi is here as a champ."

Joey hopped out of the van, a vein throbbing in his forehead. "That's it! C'mon, I can take you, let's go right now!"

Téa got out and stood directly in Joey's way, her eyes blazing. "Stop it, Joey." Then she turned to Tristan. "And stop baiting him. This isn't the time or place to fight. We're all here and we're all going to play, so can we just leave it at that, please?"

Ryou stepped out behind Téa and gestured toward the building's main entrance, where a rather imposing-looking gentleman wearing a dark suit and a pair of shades was waiting. "Look. That's probably the man the guard was talking about. Shall we go?"

Joey muttered something under his breath, but turned to follow Ryou's suggestion. Yuugi and Sugoroku were quickly behind them, and they were both just as glad that the situation had been defused peacefully. Sugoroku had no broom with which to whack Joey this time. But as they approached the waiting gentleman, Yuugi, Joey, Téa, and Tristan all had a flash of recognition. It was hard to miss the spike of hair striking straight up in the front, not completely unlike Tristan's own choice of style. Téa and Tristan, in particular, had reason to remember this man – they'd spent the better part of ten minutes barricading a door he'd tried to break down.

But upon their approach, he merely offered them a smile and a bow of his head. "Mutou Yuugi. A pleasure to see you again."

The others noted a distinct flash in Yuugi's eyes – they seemed to almost change color, from their already unusual violet tint to a near dark-blood maroon shade. His voice suddenly bore a bold tenor that likewise wasn't usually there, and he said something that nobody at school would have ever thought he'd say to a man this much larger than he.

"You'll forgive me if I don't exactly share the sentiment."

Oddly enough, the gentleman seemed to take no offense to that statement. "Of course. That's to be expected. But times and people change."

"You know this guy, Yuugi?"

The group turned collectively to the sound of Otogi Ryuuji's approaching voice – he and Rebecca Hopkins had parked a few spaces away from the van and were only now getting to the sidewalk in front of the laboratory. As was his habit, the owner of Black Crown Entertainment was rolling a die between his fingers much as one would roll a coin in its place. Rebecca, meantime, was rushing up to tackle Yuugi in a hug.

The maroon in his eyes and the boldness in his voice instantly vanished, and he let out a surprised "Oomph!"

Rebecca let out a girlish giggle and snuggled her head against his shoulder. "Thought you'd get away from me, huh?"

Yuugi blushed and squirmed slightly in her grasp. His voice was positively tinny. "Well, I won't say the idea hadn't occurred to me..."

Otogi raised an eyebrow, his default expression when he was witness to something he believed there was a chance he would regret having seen later. "As I was saying..."

"Uh, yeah, we've met a couple times," Tristan volunteered, making a point of ignoring the annoyed look on Téa's face. "Not exactly under the best of circumstances, either."

"Perhaps these circumstances will permit you the benefit of the doubt," said the gentleman. He gestured toward the main doors. "If you'll all follow me, I'll take you to the main lab. It's where we house the simulation technology for _Kingdom_." He turned and began walking that way. The group followed, though several suspicious glances were cast about and exchanged.

Joey muttered an explanation to Otogi. "He was running security at Duelist Kingdom. He nabbed Mokuba because Industrial Illusions wanted to force a takeover of KaibaCorp, then made Yuugi duel... well... I'm really not sure _what_ he dueled, now that I think of it. But he vanished before Yuugi could win and he took Mokuba with him."

Otogi hummed. "Not everyone obeys the honor system."

"After Duelist Kingdom, the Big Five wanted control of KaibaCorp for themselves, so they locked him in a virtual simulator game, and then Yuugi, Mokuba, and I had to go in there to get Kaiba back out."

That brought a scowl to the young business owner's face. "Now, that does sound awfully familiar. What was this guy's role?"

"Real-life muscle," said Tristan. "Mokuba took us to a secondary lab so we could get into the system, but the Big Five knew about the lab and sent him and a bunch of cronies so they could unplug it with them still inside."

"In that case, I'm a little surprised they didn't try that with the rest of us when we all were in there..."

"Maybe it was whatever thing Noa set up with them," Tristan reasoned. Then he shuddered. "I'm just as glad they didn't do it that way. That whole thing did make me brush up a little on Dueling 101..."

Joey snickered, and couldn't resist the opportunity to take a shot at Tristan. "Not as easy as it looks, is it? I'll bet it drove you _bananas_."

Tristan was about to slap Joey upside the head for that comment, but the bickering was interrupted by the man leading them. "It occurs to me I never told you my name – Kemo Saruwatari, at your service. And it's been quite a while since I worked for the Big Five, gentlemen."

Joey winced. "Jeez! He heard us."

"Probably just _you_," Tristan muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Yuugi piped up before the arguing could begin anew. "What do we need to know about this game that the manual won't tell us?"

"Strictly speaking, Mutou-san, there is no manual as of yet. We've been working on it, but trimming it down to the basics is a bit difficult, given how complex this game is," Kemo responded. "So allow me. The game does contain tutorials, of a sort, that will tell you about the basics, pretty much everything you need to know in order to get started properly. As you progress, and the difficulty advances, you'll learn about methods of combating the various challenges you find throughout _Kingdom_ in more complex manners. And make no mistake, your range of tasks will be quite varied. This is an interactive world you'll be playing with."

"So it's like _Final Fantasy_?" Otogi inquired.

"More like _Final Reality_," Kemo responded. "Though fantasy-based, there are realistic goals to be achieved and realistic people with whom you'll be interacting. The environment about you will react to you and your actions in appropriate fashion."

"And what sorts of goals are we supposed to be achieving in this game? Sugoroku asked.

"That, Mutou-san, is what you're here to discover." Kemo offered a small smirk, then approached a set of double doors and pressed a five-digit code into the keypad. "This is the main lab."

Rebecca grinned at Yuugi, clasping his right hand in her left as they followed Kemo into the lab. "Isn't this exciting?" she enthused.

He gave her a somewhat strained smile. "Uh, yeah. Exciting, all right."

She pouted. "Aww, c'mon! You've gotta get into the spirit of it, Yuugi."

"I'm doing my best. Just feeling a little cramped, is all."

Everyone stopped about ten steps in. The lab was a large, cylindrical room with an equally cylindrical pillar rising through the center. Several segments of that pillar bore extended trays of exposed circuitry; robotic arms extending from the ceiling were manipulating the trays with care and precision. Several technicians looked up from their work, smiled and nodded at the approaching group.

Lining the round wall of the room were pods very much like the ones in which nearly everyone here had been trapped on Noa's submersible station. However, they seemed to be designed more for comfort than anything else, and they were not enclosed, as the previous ones had been. Yuugi let out a small sigh of relief at this. Being inside the virtual pods had given him a touch of claustrophobia. Resting inside each pod was a streamlined helmet that bore a single cable in the back; that cable led into a small opening in the back of the pod, and presumably connected to the machinery within the central pillar.

Everyone was slightly apprehensive about the pods, but Joey was the first to voice his concern. "Tell you what, you might remember we had a couple bad experiences with this stuff..."

Kemo chuckled. "Not to worry. This machinery is completely safe. There's no malicious intent here, it's merely a game. But while we're on the subject of familiar technology, we're developing a more mobile version of the simulator that will allow players to interact with the game anytime, anywhere."

"Like MMORPG's?" Ryou asked, now even more intrigued.

Téa blinked. "What's an MMORPG?"

"Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game," Yuugi supplemented. "Think _World of Warcraft_ or _City of Heroes_. Bunches of players from all over the world, connecting to a central network and playing out scenarios with each other, the idea being strength in numbers."

"We haven't reached that level of sophistication quite yet," Kemo said. "But we're getting there. This is a linear game, with clear beginning, middle, and end. Jumping into the middle of it would cause something of an imbalance. However, if _Kingdom_ is the success we project it will be, there is every possibility a sequel to it would be like the games you have in mind."

"You guys are pretty optimistic," Otogi noted. "What's this miniature version you were going on about?"

Kemo gestured to a nearby console where three technicians were milling about. Atop the console was another of the pod helmets, but this one's cables were directly connected to a device that, despite a few cosmetic differences, appeared to be a standard-issue KaibaCorp duel disk. Yuugi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What in the world...?"

"This is the _Kingdom_ mobile simulator," said Kemo. "It's a prototype, of course."

"Looks like a duel disk to me," Joey replied, his tone at once suspicious and yet curious.

"Our people found that the duel disk housing was surprisingly efficient for carrying the sensitive equipment inside. All the hardware with the housing is original SIC material. The game doesn't interact with Duel Monsters cards, but you'll be able to purchase upgrade cards to insert into the disk's various slots. This will update your system's information automatically. Of course, once an upgrade card is inserted, it becomes useless to anyone else."

"Ensuring you make a huge profit," Sugoroku noted.

"Exactly." Kemo gestured at the virtual pods lining the walls. "But for the moment, this is where the beta test will be taking place. The simulator will be able to support all of you as different characters. You'll even be able to choose what sort of character you'd like to play, and the first Duel Monsters that will be at your disposal."

"What makes this so different from the KaibaCorp simulator games we've been in?" Tristan asked. "A lot of this same stuff was available to us through that, if I remember right."

"Most notably, you won't be dueling, in the sense normally associated with that term. The Duel Monsters within this world are alive and just as interactive as the non-player characters are. Random encounters will occur in which you'll have to confront and even battle other Duel Monsters. Overcome these encounters, and they'll join whatever cause to which you've pledged yourselves."

Looks of surprise and sudden anticipation abounded among the group. Rebecca cuddled Yuugi's arm in excitement; he squirmed again, but allowed a smile of appreciation at this twist. "When do we get started?"

"Whenever you're ready."

Joey grinned. "Cool! What're we waiting for, then? Let's play!"

At those words, a cadre of technicians grinned and came over to guide each prospective player to a different virtual pod. "I wonder what it'll be like," Ryou mused, as he was led to a nearby pod.

_So do I_, thought Yuugi, as he was also taken – much to Rebecca's dismay – to a local pod.

"_Yuugi... are you certain this is all on the level?"_

_Of course I'm not, mou hitori no boku, but Tristan is right. I can't very well just sit around and do nothing with all my spare time. 'Sides, you can't tell me you don't find it exciting, too._

"_... Very well. But it does seem suspicious, nevertheless. Even more so with this Kemo acting as tour guide. It is a waste of his talents – he was much less suspect when being a bully."_

_Maybe times and people really do change, mou hitori no boku._

"_You never cease to astound me with your optimism, Yuugi."_

_Nor you, me, with your pessimism._ Yuugi sat down in the chair and immediately felt himself relaxing; it was even more comfortable than it looked, and that was a feat in and of itself. The technician helped him don his helmet properly, and strapped it snugly. There was a slight pricking sensation at the back of Yuugi's neck; the tech explained it before he had a chance to express his concern. "That's the neural circuitry you're feeling, there – your brain will be in direct contact with our computers."

The visor's dual eye screens showed an uplifting "Hello!" message from a Kuriboh and Watapon bouncing back and forth like a screensaver. Kemo's voice filtered through the headphones. _"All we'd like you to do is play through as you normally would. The game is set for a few hours, and we'll be recording your play data from the central computer. I hope everyone's ready, because here we go."_

Then a soothing female voice, clearly synthetic, took over. _"Use the keypad on the right arm of your virtual pod to review character information and make your selection."_ A grid of character types and descriptions floated into view – there appeared to be over fifty distinct possibilities, and included was the option of having two simultaneous occupations. Yuugi did some quick mental calculating. _That means there's over two thousand possibilities here!_

"_You need only select one, Yuugi,"_ his darker half reminded him.

_Well, fine, then. What would you pick? I don't think King, Pharaoh, or Emperor is anywhere on the list..._

"_Amusing."_ The Pharaoh looked through the list alongside Yuugi, and with a metaphorical finger he pointed to one. _"Regional judge. A character of objectivity who dispenses impartial justice."_

_That doesn't sound at all like you, mou hitori no boku,_ was Yuugi's sarcastic reply. Nevertheless, he made the selection, because he also liked it. The role was a reasonably important one, but not so much so that he would garner unwanted attention right off the bat.

"_Please select starting location."_

This made Yuugi blink in surprise. A map appeared before his eyes and showed him a large island-continent, with a satellite island off its northwestern coast. _Looks like the big population center is to the south of the mainland,_ he noted, _so I guess if I want to avoid a lot of controversy to start off with, I should stay away from it._

"_Isn't the purpose of a game such as this to confront a conflict, Yuugi? You seem quite determined to steer clear of conflict, without which there can be no story of any interest."_

_Well, I want to see how this world works first, before jumping right into the action, you know? I want experience before battle, not the other way around._ Yuugi scrolled the map up and selected "Jakhud", apparently a thriving port city in the island's western province.

"_Please select three Duel Monsters."_

Another list was presented to Yuugi. It didn't take him long to figure out what the monsters presented to him had in common – all were Level 4 or lower, had no special effects to their credit, and had an attack power of 1500 or less. _Well. I guess I'd better choose an even spread. Given what I have to work with – or what I **don't** have to work with – that should be pretty easy._ Nevertheless, Yuugi gave his selection careful consideration. _I want monsters that are familiar. I want excellent defense ability... so Mystical Elf's at the top of the list. I also want something that can both attack decently, and is mobile... Gazelle? Nah, not right now, anyway, and he can't fly... oh! Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1! Perfect. And something to back them both up. Doesn't have to be phenomenal, necessarily, but something I can work with – aha, Flame Manipulator. That could be interesting. There. No opposing types or classes._

The screen went blank, then faded back in with a wide-pan view of the continental map, and an upward-scrolling script from which the female voice began to read.

"_After three hundred years of ruling the Rondeval continent, the Sygh-Varths Empire is faced with a crisis. Since the ascension of the 12th Emperor, Heishin, to the throne, corruption and brutality have begun to spread across the empire. Heishin and a select group of his underlings have been accused of living in the lap of luxury by strictly enforcing heavy taxation on the people they rule – but these complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Many have expressed anti-Imperial sentiments, only to be arrested soon after on charges of sedition._

"_On the fringes of the empire, people have begun to whisper of open revolt and rebellion against such oppressive taxes. Silent support of an uprising has taken root among the residents of the remote northwestern island of Vaxi..."_

Suddenly, the screen went blank again. The sounds of crackling and snapping echoed painfully in Yuugi's ears, and he felt a distinct – and thoroughly unpleasant tingle – on his neck, where the neural circuitry was touching his skin. He winced. _Hey, what's going on?_

"_I have a very bad feeling about this..."_ said the Pharaoh.

Just as Yuugi was about to reach up and try to tamper with the straps that held the helmet to his head, the screens buzzed back to life.

_**KINGDOM SIMULATOR OVERLOAD**_

_A glitch...?_ he wondered.

_**SAFETY LOCKS ENGAGED**_

_**BEGINNING TRANSITION TO MODE-2**_

Yuugi frowned. _What's Mode-2...?_

_**TRANSITION TO MODE-2 COMPLETE**_

_**KINGDOM SIMULATOR LOCK-IN MODE ENGAGED**_

His eyes went wide. _Lock-in mode?!_ His hands leapt to his helmet; the last thing he wanted was to be trapped in yet another virtual simulation.

But before he could even locate the first strap, the neural circuitry buzzed the back of his neck. He arched his neck back and cried out. _What's... happening?!_

And then all was darkness.

–  
_**August 10, 9:24 a.m.  
**__**SIC Private Aircraft 1993  
**__**Pacific Ocean - In Transit**  
_–

He chuckled, then removed his monitor goggles.

"Gotcha."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

**_

* * *

14th Day of Tinis, Early Morning  
___****Mountain Camp  
**_**Twin Rivers Province  
**_– 

Joey groaned and tried to turn his head from the left to the right. In so doing, he realized he was not lying face-up, but rather face-down, and the movement caused his cheek and nose to scrape very uncomfortably against the ground.

His brow stitched. _The ground?_ He blinked his eyes open.

He hadn't been imagining it. He was, indeed, lying face-down on a hard, rocky, barren surface – and it was cold.

He gasped, but that only made him take in a deep breath of rock dust along with the cold, crisp air of the region. He pushed himself up as he began to cough loudly; one hand clutched at his throat, and it would have been demonstrative if there'd been anyone watching. But even as he ground his throat to spit out the dust, he noted that there was no one else here.

Joey squinted. The area was almost completely barren. Only a few patches of grass here and there lent any color to this place. The rest was gray, dusty ground that looked as though it hadn't been trod by anyone with half a brain. He snorted. _Perfect. Somebody drags me somewhere nobody smart would go. People are always out to insult me._

He reached up and scratched his head. _Man, what happened, anyway? One moment we were all plugged into that machine. Then it said something weird about "lockdown mode" or something..._

The sun was just barely beginning to rise above the horizon – and he only now realized just how far down the horizon was. He'd been lying prostrate next to a cliff's edge. "Gaah!" he shouted, and he scrambled away from it as quickly as possible, keeping his eyes very firmly on his own movements and not at all (or not that much) on the edge.

_Wait a sec... what the hell am I wearing?_ Of the many things he knew he was likely to forget, he was quite certain his wardrobe wasn't one of them – and though his winnings at Duelist Kingdom had made him a millionaire by most standards of currency in the world, he'd never bought a black leather jacket. And he was very sure he'd not donned his red shirt or black jeans for the occasion of traveling to Spectre.

He blinked as it struck him why he might be dressed this way. _Oh, man. Deja vu._ "I'm in the game, aren't I?" he asked aloud. The words echoed down the mountain a distance. _Odd that it would change my clothes. Not that I'm complaining or anything, they look good enough, and they're warm, but still..._

Then he looked at his hands and frowned again. They were bound in a pair of leather gloves, and the gloves had apparently been fused with some sort of metal bangles at the wrist. In the case of the one on the left, the bangle extended halfway up his arm in three distinct ringed segments, but on the right, there was but a single segment. Inside each section was a square-shaped depression that sank down perhaps a centimeter.

He tried to remember more about the transition into the game. _Okay, so it asked me what I wanted to be. I said... architect/adventurer. Yeah. That sounded cool to me._ He glanced about; there were no structures in sight. _Guess I haven't been building anything up here. So much for the architect bit._ He stroked his chin. _I suppose I should probably get down from here._

_Wish I knew where Yuugi and the others were..._

–  
**_14th Day of Tinis, Early Morning  
_**_**Claw Valley  
**__**Uruvie Canyon  
**_–

Tristan had awoken near a river. The water was by no means rushing or gushing, but it had made him want to find a bathroom rather quickly right off the bat. For an indeterminate amount of time he stumbled about in confusion trying to find some sign of civilization, and therefore a toilet, before realizing two things.

First – that he'd been transported into a video game, just as they'd all expected they would be.

Second – in a place like this, he wasn't likely to find a bathroom.

He'd ended up relieving himself discreetly in the river. That was when he finally discovered that his clothes were different, which had only added to the frustration of delaying himself permission to go. Then he wondered if that would end up having much less desirable consequences back in the real world. _What if I ended up wetting myself in the pod?_

And there was very little anybody could do about that now, he imagined. He remembered quite clearly the message about being in lockdown. _Probably means we're stuck in the game for the time being. Deja vu all over again. But at least it's supposed to be a game and not a fight for survival._

Scouting about had revealed there were two local population centers. One was to the east, across the river and beyond some woods; the only way he'd been able to make it out at all was by a plume of smoke rising above the treetops. The other was in the opposite direction, closer, and even from this distance – and at this time of day – appeared to have plenty of traffic to and fro.

It took a decent hike to get there. Most of that hike was spent examining the mismatched gauntlets he was wearing. _They don't look completely unlike the gloves Yuugi and Joey and all the rest had to wear at Duelist Kingdom... but they're pretty different, all the same._ One or two travelers passed by him on horses, but he didn't think to look up at them.

If he had, he might have noticed how hard they were staring at him.

_What is it about my occupation that would have me wear something like this?_ he wondered. _I mean, granted, a mercenary might have to wear some pretty odd things, but these would have to have some sort of function to them. Otherwise they're just weird._

He approached the entrance to the city and squinted at the greeting sign.

_Claw Valley – There be copper here!_

"I guess the gloves aren't the _only_ weird thing around here," he muttered. The entire city appeared to be ringed with some sort of defensive wall. Tristan was reminded of Jericho. Its gates were wide open, and a pair of guards bearing pikes were standing on either side. They, unlike other passersby, did little to indicate they saw anything strange about him, and did not block his entry.

He shrugged and made his way through. Immediately he could tell this was not a technologically advanced society, at least not by his standards. Scaffolds stood everywhere, and workers were chiseling and cobbling and smithing and all other forms of manual labor via methods more associated with previous centuries. A gathering of children was milling about off to the left, trying to toss skipping stones onto each individual tile of pavement. When one child glanced up at Tristan, however, his eyes lit up.

"Look!" he exclaimed to his friends, pointing Tristan out specifically. "It's a marshal!"

–  
**_14th_** **_Day of Tinis, Early Morning  
_**_**Tsughut  
**__**Tsughut Province  
**_–

There was a series of insistent knocks on the door, followed by a muffled voice. "Hey, boss? You all right in there?"

Ryou ran his hands through his hair – his strangely gloved hands – and squinted through the window and into the sun that was steadily on its way up the eastern horizon. He was trying to remember what he'd told the game to do for his character. _I told it I wanted to be in a city... some city on the northwestern island... Tsughut?_

The voice behind the door shouted a little louder. "Hey, boss!"

He jumped; he hadn't heard the knocking over his contemplation. "Uh... me?" he asked, not quite loud enough for whoever was shouting to hear. Then he hurried over to the door, lifted the latch, and opened it; on the other side was a ruddy-looking man who eyed Ryou up and down.

"Late night, boss?" he asked.

"Er... I suppose," Ryou said. He cursed himself for fumbling. _This is a roleplaying game, for crying out loud! Get into character and play along. You've done this hundreds of times, you enjoyed it every time. You said you wanted to be a merchant, and the way this character is acting, he seems to be a subordinate._ He straightened a little. "Am I late for work?"

"No way, boss. You decide when you're late, not me. But I thought you might like to know the load we got today. It's a beauty. And might pan out to be the tax margin for this entire month, if Kepulia decides he wants to ease up a little, and if they keep spawning like they do this time of year." The ruddy man gave Ryou an expectant look. "Wanna come see?"

_Spawning? Load? Sounds like I'm in the fishing industry... which would explain the smell coming off this guy._ He resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose – though whether it would have been at the revelation that he was a fisherman or at the smell, he wasn't quite sure. "Uh, no... thanks. It sounds like good news, then."

The man chuckled. "That doesn't even begin to describe it, boss. I just hope the navy doesn't decide to sweep in and scare 'em all away before we start making big profits. This entire city's got kids to feed an' all."

Ryou cocked his head. "Why would the navy come 'sweeping in'?"

The ruddy man blinked, surprised. "Thought you'd heard. The emperor's been distributing peacekeepers."

_Eugh. "Peacekeepers". You never hear that term applied to someone who isn't wielding a weapon and an unspoken threat to use it._ He took a stab in the dark. "Why? Is it because of the tax margin?"

"Oh, yeah. Some people started raiding supply convoys in Rondeval because they're too poor to afford supplies with the Imperial tax markup. I don't think they quite get that the markup only keeps going up every time a convoy is raided... they're making life harder on everyone else." The ruddy man sighed in exasperation over the tale, then blinked at Ryou's gauntlets and grinned slightly. "Hey, you don't usually get those out. What's the occasion? Gonna go try and wrangle some new recruits for the operation?"

Ryou blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

That was when the voice echoed in his mind... and he could not suppress a shudder.

"_Beg... beg... beg... beg... beg... beg..."_

–  
**_14th Day of Tinis, Early Morning  
_**_**Vrauson Castle  
**__**Uruvie Canyon  
**_–

Téa looked oddly at the boy. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, that's what my friends said, anyway. I wasn't sure an' so I wanted to ask."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a member of the military. At least, I'm pretty sure I'm not..." _I don't remember telling the system I wanted to be in any branch of service – I picked entertainer, didn't I?_

The boy, all of ten years old and with a gap between his front teeth, giggled up at her. "That doesn't matter, lady. Marshals aren't all part-uh the army. But all-uh them wear gauntlets like yours. Where'd you get 'em? I want some, too."

For about the fiftieth time, Téa looked at the gauntlets she'd found on her hands when she'd awakened. She shook her head. "Honestly, I really don't remember. I guess it was a long time ago."

"Awww. So you're not a marshal, then?"

Her shoulders shrugged upward in uncertainty. "I'm not sure, really."

The boy giggled again. "That's funny. All the marshals I ever saw knew if they were marshals or not."

She knelt down, bringing herself to eye level with the boy. "Well, maybe you could tell me what makes a marshal, then."

"A mommy and a daddy, of course!" the boy laughed.

Téa pouted at him. "C'mon, help me out here. I'm not really from around this place."

Through a fit of giggling, he nodded. "Okay, hee hee, okay... I know whatcha mean. A marshal's a special person, see? They're born the same as everyone else, but they can order the monsters around."

"You mean, the Duel Monsters?"

"Yeah! Butcha gotta get 'em to answer you first. All-uh the monsters are special 'cause they can hear when a marshal gets born, an' maybe, if you're strong enough, one-uh them will come answer you right when you get born. Then you grow up together, an' if you're strong enough, you can go out an' get more-uh them to come answer you... but you gotta beat 'em first!" The boy nodded. "'Cause they don't respect you 'til you do."

Téa tilted her head to one side. "How do you make them answer you once you beat them?"

The boy pointed at her gauntlets. "Marshals use those. My friends said they saw a marshal fight once an' they say he stuck little rocks in 'em. They said when the monsters got beat, one of 'em gave him another little rock just like the others. I keep lookin' for rocks like 'em but I can't ever find any..."

"_Little rocks"?_ Téa was baffled. _How would little rocks make a Duel Monster listen to me? And where would I even find them?_

_Okay, calm down._ She took a deep breath, then smiled at the boy. "Thanks. I'll try to remember all that."

"So you're not a marshal, then?" the boy asked, sounding a little disappointed.

She shook her head. "I don't know... but when I find out, you'll be the first to know."

–  
_**August 10, 9:40 a.m.  
**__**SIC Laboratories – Tokyo Branch  
**__**Tokyo, Japan  
**_–

Seto did his best not to roll his eyes or heave a sigh as Kemo guided them about the research labs. He'd found the reception to be somewhat lacking. _One person? One bumbling lackey from Pegasus Crawford's old team? They should have really tried to roll out the red carpet a little more. What's it take to get a little respect around here? Do I have to be Bill Gates?_ He also found the facility to be rather lackluster. _I could think up more innovative technologies sitting on top of Mt. Everest without oxygen. I worry that this is the best they can offer. And I'm downright insulted if it isn't._

Mokuba, on the other hand, was positively thrilled to be touring about the place. He was asking questions galore. Kemo only offered cryptic responses for about half the questions posed, but it was clear he took more of a shine to Mokuba's attitude than Seto's. That only made Seto even more irritated. _Warming up to my little brother, are you? He probably hasn't forgotten you kidnapping him and throwing him in a dungeon. I know I certainly haven't._

Strictly speaking, of course, Seto wasn't witness to any of that – but he had no problem imagining it. And every time if went through his mind, it only made him want to get this overwith all the faster. He forced himself to tune back in to what Kemo was saying.

"...and I know I speak for everyone here when I say we're all overjoyed that you accepted Mr. Irvine's invitation," the former Duelist Kingdom security chief declared. "We've been looking forward to this for a long time."

Seto snorted. "I didn't figure you for the corporate type. What's the matter, roughing people up started turning you off all of a sudden? Or did you just find yourself out of a job when the board vanished?" He knew the answer to the latter half of that question already, of course; the Big Five had hired Kemo as muscle, but upon their disappearance, his contract with them was immediately terminated.

"My interests have changed since then," was Kemo's smooth reply. "But if I'd realized you cared so much, I might have let you know about my résume update sooner."

Seto harrumphed. He'd hoped for the jab to rattle Kemo; its failure encouraged him to change the subject. "Where's Irvine, anyway? I expected him to be here, seeing as he was the one who invited us to this little... get-together."

"His flight was unavoidably delayed, thanks to new security measures put in place by the United States. He sends his regrets, but he will be here in time to meet you at the conclusion of your test run."

Seto scoffed again. _A good CEO would have prepared for that. If he can't be here to greet the people he's inviting, why should the people he's inviting be here, either?_

Kemo tapped in a code on a keypad, which caused a pair of hydraulically-powered doors to open wide. "SIC is looking forward to collaborating with companies such as Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corporation on future game technology development. Of course, we realize such progress can only be made at your discretion, but we're quite certain you'll enjoy _Kingdom_."

"Cut to the chase, here," Seto said. "I've been keeping my eye on Spectre. You people need investment capital because otherwise, units of your product would be so expensive, the average buyer couldn't possibly afford it. You're using Duel Monsters in the program because you needed a product tie-in with Industrial Illusions, so you have a lot of capital already, but not enough. And you figured you could squeeze KaibaCorp because I've already invested so much in the game of Duel Monsters."

Kemo didn't respond, except to cross his arms.

Seto scoffed. "Your silence speaks volumes. Let's see it, at least... then I'll decide whether we'll test it out."

"You're looking at it right now." Kemo gestured about; they had entered the cylindrical laboratory into which Yuugi and his friends had been led less than half an hour ago. Out of thirty-two pods ringing the lab, eight were occupied – and Kaiba was quick to note that Yuugi was one of the occupants. "The program just began for the people you see here now, so if you choose to enter it as well, chances are you'll encounter at least some of them along the line."

"Networking with these guys?" Mokuba sniffed, then looked up at Seto. "What do you think, big brother?"

Kaiba was feeling strangely contemplative. _I knew Yuugi was invited, and that he was probably bringing his friends. Didn't realize we'd all end up being invited to play the same game at the same time._ In spite of himself, possibilities were starting to form in his head. _I've done my best to put the duel at Battle City behind me. Yuugi beat me, and it made me take a look at myself. He was right. I wasn't the man I could have been... wasn't the duelist I could have been, if I'd just looked beyond myself. I've gone over it all a hundred times... and even though I might never admit it to anyone else... I did let my anger and greed blind me._

_I'm different now._

_And I deserve to show him what I'm made of._

He glanced at Kemo. "If we do this... what actions do I have to take that will eventually cross my path with Yuugi's?"

Kemo shook his head. "It's not that simple, Kaiba-san. If you truly want your path to cross Yuugi's, you're going to have to seek him out."

"The decision-making process in this game isn't geometric?"

"The game is interactive at every point. The decision-making process is exponential and therefore allows for virtually every possibility you can conceive... a game I believe you would appreciate for that quality."

Seto closed his eyes before rolling them. It was no secret that certain contestants at Battle City had believed they'd been chosen by fate to win – and it was even less of a secret that he was not one of them. He believed, then as now, that one made one's own future.

"'Niisama?"

Seto looked down at Mokuba, who was giving him an expectant look. "We've come all this way. And you did promise."

Seto's gaze flicked back up at Kemo. "You're right, at that – I did promise. And I certainly don't break my promises." He glanced about the room once more, then said, "Plug us in. We'll play."

–  
_**August 10, 10:01 a.m.  
SIC Private Aircraft 1993  
Pacific Ocean - In Transit**  
_–

Another smile.

"Good morning, gentlemen. Welcome to my game."


End file.
